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WYD Lisbon 2023

“Mary arose and went with haste” – Lk 1:39 

This is the theme chosen by Pope Francis for the 28th World Youth Day held for the first time in the capital city of Lisbon, Portugal. The scripture describes the Visitation of Mary to her cousin Elizabeth, following the Annunciation, when the angel announced to Mary that she would be the Mother of the Son of God, the theme of the last WYD in Panama.

01 - 06 August 2023

The WYD week takes place over six days, beginning with an Opening Mass and concluding with an evening Vigil and Final Mass with the Pope. During the week, pilgrims from all walks of life attend Catechesis sessions and unite in prayer and the sacraments. A Youth Festival will also take place each day where pilgrims can reach across barriers of language and culture and celebrate together their Catholic faith through music and theatre and all manner of celebrations. Though WYD events are aimed at young people aged 16-35, people of all ages are welcome to come and be a part of the occasion.

Sample Tour Itineraries

WYD Direct: Lisbon & Fatima

Footsteps of Jesus

Road of Saints

WYD Lisbon Famil

Italy: Venice to Rome

WYD Direct: Avila, Lisbon & Fatima

Italy: Rome to Turin

Fields of Grace

Official Theme Song

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Harvest partners with the world’s best pilgrim ground operators and guides who share a passion for the sacred and impart knowledge about holy and historical sites, expertise about local cuisine and customs, and provide a welcoming experience and unique care and insight at each stage of the journey.

For over 35 years, Harvest has been singularly devoted to faith-based travel. We are 100% dedicated to Catholic pilgrimage and providing every traveller with the greatest opportunities to reap the abundant fruit that pilgrimage provides.

Having served various appointments over many years including Official Tour Operator for the Canonisation of Mary MacKillop, World Youth Day 2011 Madrid and 2013 in Rio de Janeiro we are the experts in providing the best World Youth Day Pilgrimage experience.

Harvest is a specialist tour operator and a full member of the Council of Australian Tour Operators (CATO), the Australian Federation of Travel Agents (AFTA) and the AFTA Travel Accreditation Scheme (ATAS).

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Debunking five popular myths about World Youth Days

Whether it’s held in vast countries such as the U.S. in 1993, or tiny ones such as Panama this week, a World Youth Day is always a huge logistical challenge for all organizers – Church, city and state.

Patrons insist that the benefits of organizing a WYD always exceed expenses, and the income isn’t measured simply in spiritual gains. Despite that, steadily fewer dioceses are volunteering to host a World Youth Day, perhaps daunted by the scale of the perceived challenges.

Herewith, a review of WYD myths just days before Pope Francis announces the next host after Panama. (It’s widely expected to be Portugal.)

Myth No. 1 – WYD is super-expensive

A World Youth Day is a huge event, with more participants than any rock concert or Olympic Games. In truth, it’s not just one event but hundreds: in Krakow 2016, there were 12 main events and more than 250 cultural activities.

But if you look at WYD budgets, this international youth gathering costs roughly the same amount as one Oscar award ceremony in Los Angeles. The Krakow edition cost around $50 million, while the 2018 Oscar ceremony (which filled up the Kodak theatre with celebrities for just one night) ran a robust $44 million.

In some cities, comparisons with other events are painful: WYD Rio 2013 brought more or less the same number of people to town as the Olympic Games the following year, but budgets were “slightly” different: $63 million against $8 billion, as we read in Megaevents of the Catholic Church , a handbook written by professionals who worked in four World Youth Days (including this author) and edited by Yago de la Cierva, WYD Madrid 2011 executive director.

For the local dioceses organizing WYD, finding financial means is a gigantic challenge. Krakow’s economic department worked around the clock for weeks, with the accountant literally leaving the office as the event drew to a close at 3:00 a.m. only to come back at 8:00 a.m.

“First is the prayer. You cannot touch the ‘profanum’ without touching ‘sacrum’ first. Second is transparency and accountability,” said Father Wojciech Olszowski, the chief financial officer of the Krakow committee.

More than a third of WYD funding usually comes from pilgrims’ fees. The rest comes from sponsors, the faithful, and the state. Krakow WYD was the cheapest modern WYD, and it even left a surplus of $160,000.

According to Megaevents , in Rio 2013 World Youth Day left a debt to the archdiocese only because the Brazilian government under promised $15 million for infrastructure and never paid.

Myth No. 2 – numbers are key

A great media fuss about any WYD always surrounds a predictable set of questions: How many people are going to attend? What was the size of the crowd during its main events? How many people registered?

“Any WYD experiences the same media attention about registered pilgrims, as if that number was indicative of both the event participation and its success. Actually, it has been a constant ratio in most WYDs that the number of participants at the final Mass can be calculated by multiplying registered pilgrims by four,” Thierry Bonaventura, longtime spokesperson for CCEE and now communications officer of WYD Panama 2019 told Crux .

“People usually flow from local dioceses when they see WYD excitement on TV – that was the case of Madrid, Rio and Krakow, and it will be the case of Panama,” he added.

Father Thomas Rosica, Executive Director of WYD 2002 in Toronto, commented during a press conference in WYD Krakow: “It’s not about a huge number of people attending, but about one person that will be changed by WYD … that’s all that matters.”

In fact, according to Megaevents , probably the best WYD ever organized was in Sydney in 2008, with “only” 300,000 participants at the main events, but it wielded a great impact on local youth and in the whole Pacific area.

Myth no. 3 – the state doesn’t get anything in return

Before WYD 2016, Krakow non-religious Poles were concerned that taxpayers’ money would be “sunk” into WYD – an event organized by the Church, and for the faithful. The Polish government invested around $5 million in the event, including military, police and secret service agents and resources to secure the event.

But that’s only one side of the story. In reality, the Krakow archdiocese paid $10 million in taxes the same year, so the money invested by the states was returned doubled. In the end, only 10 percent of the total WYD budget came from the state.

That’s not the only benefit. Over 90 percent of young people attending Krakow admitted in a post-WYD survey they were encouraged to improve their societies after WYD 2016.

The head of promotion in Krakow, Joanna Zając, said WYD is also a great opportunity for the state to promote itself internationally: “We learned we have youth that are creative, dynamic, open and full of imagination. All those people working around the clock to make WYD happen in every corner of the country stayed here and enriched the job market in Poland.”

Rosica said that WYD is a gift for the whole society and a call for unity.

“We had a staff of 400 people for our WYD 2002, and 295 were young adults from 40 countries and 38 cities in Canada. It was a blessed experience,” he told Crux .

Myth No. 4 – The host city will face Armageddon

“The city will be paralyzed,” Mayor Jacek Majchrowski of Krakow told reporters at a press conference in 2015, a year ahead of WYD. He encouraged inhabitants to leave the city during the time of the event.

Experience, however, proved the opposite.

“Not only was the city not paralyzed, it flourished!” one of Krakow’s inhabitants reported. “I regretted I didn’t take pilgrims to my house – it would have been an unforgettable experience for my kids,” she said.

The event was also secure and calm. Despite the fact that 2.5 million people flooded the city, there was not a single police intervention due to public unrest, and not even a single person was detained for being drunk.

Madrid in 2011 generated a similar sense of good will. The Spanish capital was struck by how clean pilgrims left the city – according to city hall, the amount of waste left by the 2,100,000 pilgrims was one-tenth of the refuse generated by a soccer championship final in Madrid, not to mention a “Gay Pride” parade organized the following year with fewer than 200,000 people.

Myth No. 5 – Communications aren’t all that important

Many organizing committees for a World Youth Day don’t think of communications as a key issue until problems arise. Yet Rafa Rubio, Madrid’s communications director, said that communications not only helped boost registration, smoothing criticism against the pope’s visit and promoting the event, but also helped to overcome major crises.

“During the vigil we had a huge storm, and we had to have different channels open to communicate logistical changes for the final Mass. We had created channels with the pilgrims in social media and we managed to communicate it during the night, so everybody knew first thing in the morning.”

The same thing happened in Rio de Janeiro, when venues had to be changed at the last minute due to weather conditions. Rubio, who worked in Rio as well, said that good communication channels are key.

“No matter how good planning and logistics are – and sometimes they are not good enough – you need to make adjustments to the original plan,” he said. “If you can’t communicate them to a huge crowd, you are completely lost.”

Besides, there is a direct connection between communication and funding. In Madrid, the sponsorship program was entrusted to the communication department, Rubio said, and that was a key element for WYD good finances.

“Communication is not just about spending, but getting public support,” he said.

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December 8, 2022 - August 6, 2023

Join jesus youth usa for world youth day 2023, lisbon 2023 continues our journey with mary.

The Holy Father encourages all of us to remain with Mary and receive more from her Immaculate Heart. And after such a long wait, it’s truly amazing that we can embrace this theme of listening to the Lord’s voice, responding with joy and courage, and going forth in mission!

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WHAT IS WORLD YOUTH DAY?

Never been to World Youth Day before? Find out more about the WYD schedule of events during the week!

Jesus Youth pilgrims embark on a 7-month preparation with Mary.

Small groups gather locally to reflect, pray, and prepare their hearts for the WYD pilgrimage.

JOY | SIMPLICITY | COURAGE | MISSION

Joy | simplicity, courage | mission, joy|simplicity, courage|mission.

JOY SIMPLICITY COURAGE MISSION

All pilgrims gather together in one location right before WYD for some prayer, fun, and fellowship.

Pilgrims meet each other and orient their hearts, minds, and bodies to receive during WYD. Everyone will then travel together to Portugal united in spirit!

WORLD YOUTH DAY

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MESSAGE OF THE HOLY FATHER TO THE YOUTH OF THE WORLD ON THE OCCASION OF THE 15TH WORLD YOUTH DAY

“The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us ” ( Jn 1:14)

My dear young people

1. Fifteen years ago, at the close of the Holy Year of the Redemption, I entrusted to you a great wooden Cross, asking you to carry it across the world as a sign of the love which the Lord Jesus has for mankind and to proclaim to everyone that only in Christ who died and is risen is there salvation and redemption. Since that day, carried by generous hands and hearts, the Cross has made a long, uninterrupted pilgrimage across the continents, to demonstrate that the Cross walks with young people and young people walk with the Cross.

Around the “Holy Year Cross”, World Youth Days were born and developed as meaningful “moments of rest” along your journey as young Christians; a constant, pressing invitation to build life on the rock that is Christ. How can we fail to bless the Lord for the countless fruits born in the hearts of individuals and in the whole Church thanks to the World Youth Days, which in this last part of the century have marked the journey of young believers towards the new millennium?

After spanning the continents, that Cross now returns to Rome bringing with it the prayers and commitment of millions of young people who have recognized it as a simple and sacred sign of God’s love for humanity. Because Rome, as you know, will host World Youth Day of the Year 2000, in the heart of the Great Jubilee.

Dear young people, I invite you therefore to undertake with joy the pilgrimage to Rome for this important ecclesial appointment, which will rightly be the “Youth Jubilee”. Prepare to enter the Holy Door, knowing that to pass through it is to strengthen faith in Him in order to live the new life which he has given to us (cfr Incarnationis Mysterium 8).

2. I chose as the theme for your 15th World Day the lapidary phrase with which Saint John the Apostle describes the profound mystery of God made man: “The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us ” ( Jn 1:14). What distinguishes the Christian faith from all other religions, is the certainty that the man Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God, the Word made flesh, the second person of the Trinity who came into the world. “Such is the joyous conviction of the Church from her beginning, whenever she sings 'the mystery of our religion': 'He was manifested in the flesh'” (Catechism of the Catholic Church 463). God, the invisible one is alive and present in the person of Jesus, Son of Mary, the Theotokos , Mother of God. Jesus of Nazareth is God with us, Emmanuel: he who knows Him knows God, he who sees Him sees God, he who follows Him follows God, he who unites himself with Him is united with God (cfr Jn 12:44-50). In Jesus, born in Bethlehem, God embraces the human condition, making himself accessible, establishing a covenant with mankind.

On the eve of the new millennium, I make again to you my pressing appeal to open wide the doors to Christ who “to those who received him, gave power to become children of God” ( Jn 1:12) To receive Jesus Christ means to accept from the Father the command to live, loving Him and our brothers and sisters, showing solidarity to everyone, without distinction; it means believing that in the history of humanity even though it is marked by evil and suffering, the final word belongs to life and to love, because God came to dwell among us, so we may dwell in Him.

By his incarnation Christ became poor to enrich us with his poverty, and he gave us redemption, which is the fruit above all of the blood he shed on the Cross (cfr Catechism of the Catholic Church 517). On Calvary, “ours were the sufferings he bore ... he was pierced through for our faults” ( Is 53: 4-5). The supreme sacrifice of his life, freely given for our salvation, is the proof of God’s infinite love for us. Saint John the Apostle writes: “God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son so that everyone that believes in him may not be lost but may have eternal life” ( Jn 3:16). He sent Him to share in every way, except sin, our human condition; he “gave” him totally to men, despite their obstinate and homicidal rejection (cfr Mt 21:33-39), to obtain, through his death, their reconciliation. “The God of creation is revealed as the God of redemption, as the God who is 'faithful to himself' and faithful to his love for man and the world which he revealed on the day of creation ... how precious must man be in the eyes of the Creator, if he gained so great a Redeemer” ( Redemptor hominis 9.10)

Jesus went towards his death. He did not draw back from any of the consequences of his being “with us”, Emmanuel . He took our place, ransoming us on the Cross from evil and sin (cfr Evangelium vitae 50). Just as the Roman Centurion, seeing the manner in which Jesus died, understood that he was the Son of God (cfr Mk 15:39) so we too, seeing and contemplating the Crucified Lord, understand who God really is, as he reveals in Jesus the depth of his love for mankind (cfr Redemptor hominis 9). “Passion” means a passionate love, unconditioned self- giving: Christ’s passion is the summit of an entire life “given” to his brothers and sisters to reveal the heart of the Father. The Cross, which seems to rise up from the earth, in actual fact reaches down from heaven, enfolding the universe in a divine embrace. The Cross reveals itself to be “the centre, meaning and goal of all history and of every human life” ( Evangelium vitae 50).

“One man has died for all” (2 Cor 5:14): Christ “gave himself up in our place as a fragrant offering and a sacrifice to God” ( Eph 5:2). Behind the death of Jesus there is a plan of love, which the faith of the Church calls the “mystery of the redemption”: the whole of humanity is redeemed, that is, set free from the slavery of sin and led into the kingdom of God. Christ is Lord of heaven and earth. Whoever listens to his word and believes in the Father, who sent him, has eternal life (cfr Jn 5:25). He is the “Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” ( Jn 1:29.36), the high priest who, having suffered like us, is able to share our infirmity (cfr Heb 4:14 ) and “made perfect” through the painful experience of the Cross, becomes “for all who obey him, the source of eternal salvation” ( Heb 5:9).

3. Dear young people, faced with these great mysteries, learn to lift your hearts in an attitude of contemplation. Stop and look with wonder at the infant Mary brought into the world, wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger: the infant is God himself who has come among us. Look at Jesus of Nazareth, received by some and scorned by others, despised and rejected: He is the Saviour of all. Adore Christ, our Redeemer, who ransoms us and frees us from sin and death: He is the living God, the source of Life.

Contemplate and reflect! God created us to share in his very own life; he calls us to be his children, living members of the mystical Body of Christ, luminous temple of the Spirit of Love. He calls us to be his: he wants us all to be saints. Dear young people, may it be your holy ambition to be holy, as He is holy.

You will ask me: but is it possible today to be saints? If we had to rely only on human strength, the undertaking would be truly impossible. You are well aware, in fact, of your successes and your failures; you are aware of the heavy burdens weighing on man, the many dangers which threaten him and the consequences caused by his sins. At times we may be gripped by discouragement and even come to think that it is impossible to change anything either in the world or in ourselves.

Although the journey is difficult, we can do everything in the One who is our Redeemer. Turn then to no one, except Jesus. Do not look elsewhere for that which only He can give you, because “of all the names in the world given to men this is the only one by which we can be saved” ( Acts 4:12). With Christ, saintliness - the divine plan for every baptized person - becomes possible. Rely on Him; believe in the invincible power of the Gospel and place faith as the foundation of your hope. Jesus walks with you, he renews your heart and strengthens you with the vigour of his Spirit.

Young people of every continent, do not be afraid to be the saints of the new millennium! Be contemplative, love prayer; be coherent with your faith and generous in the service of your brothers and sisters, be active members of the Church and builders of peace. To succeed in this demanding project of life, continue to listen to His Word, draw strength from the Sacraments, especially the Eucharist and Penance. The Lord wants you to be intrepid apostles of his Gospel and builders of a new humanity. In fact, how could you say you believe in God made man without taking a firm position against all that destroys the human person and the family? If you believe that Christ has revealed the Father’s love for every person, you cannot fail to strive to contribute to the building of a new world, founded on the power of love and forgiveness, on the struggle against injustice and all physical, moral and spiritual distress, on the orientation of politics, economy, culture and technology to the service of man and his integral development.

4. I sincerely wish that the Jubilee, now at the door, may be an opportune time for courageous spiritual renewal and an exceptional celebration of God’s love for humanity. From the whole Church may there rise up “a hymn of praise and thanksgiving to the Father, who in his incomparable love granted us in Christ to be 'fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God'” ( Incarnationis Mysterium 6). May we draw comfort from the certainty expressed by Saint Paul the Apostle: If God did not spare his only Son but gave him for us, how can he fail to give us everything with him? Who can separate us from the love of Christ? In every event of life, including death, we can be more than winners, by virtue of the One who loved us to the Cross (cfr Rom 8: 31-37).

The mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God and that of the Redemption he worked for all men, constitute the central message of our faith. The Church proclaims this down through the centuries, walking “amidst the misunderstandings and persecutions of the world and the consolations of God” ( S. Augustine De Civ. Dei 18, 51, 2; PL 41,614) and she entrusts it to her children as a precious treasure to be safeguarded and shared.

You too, dear young people, are the receivers and the trustees of this heritage: “This is our faith. This is the faith of the Church. And we are proud to profess it, in Jesus Christ Our Lord” (Roman Pontifical , Rite of Confirmation ). We will proclaim it together on the occasion of the next World Youth Day, in which I hope very many of you will take part. Rome is a “city- shrine” where the memory of the Apostles Peter and Paul and other martyrs remind pilgrims of the vocation of every baptized person. Before the world, in August next year, we will repeat the profession of faith made by Saint Peter the Apostle: “Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” ( Jn 6:68) because “you are the Christ the Son of the Living God!” ( Mt 16:16).

Also to you boys and girls who will be adults in the next century, is entrusted the “Book of Life”, which on Christmas Eve this year the Pope, the first to cross the threshold of the Holy Door, will show to the Church and to the world as the wellspring of life and hope for the third millennium ( Incarnationis Mysterium 8).

May it become your most precious treasure: in the careful study and generous acceptance of the Word of the Lord, you will find nourishment and strength for your daily life, you will find motivation for tireless commitment to the building of a civilization of love .

5. Let us now turn our eyes to the Virgin Mother of God, of whom the city of Rome treasures one of the earliest and most honoured monuments which the devotion of the Christian people has dedicated to her: the Basilica of Saint Mary Major.

The Incarnation of the Word and the Redemption of mankind are closely linked with the Annunciation when God revealed to Mary his plan and found in her, a young person like yourselves, a heart totally open to the action of his love. For centuries Christian devotion has recalled every day, with the recitation of the Angelus Domini , God’s entrance into the history of man. May this prayer become your daily meditated prayer.

Mary is the dawn which precedes the rising of the Sun of justice, Christ our Redeemer. With her “yes” at the Annunciation, as she opened herself completely to Father’s plan, she welcomed and made possible the incarnation of the Son. The first disciple, with her discreet presence she accompanied Jesus all the way to Calvary and sustained the hope of the Apostles as they waited for the Resurrection and Pentecost. In the life of the Church she continues to be mystically the one who precedes the Lord’s coming. To Mary, who fulfills without interruption her ministry as Mother of the Church and of each Christian, I entrust with confidence the preparation of the 15th World Youth Day. May Most Holy Mary teach you, dear young people, how to discern the will of the heavenly Father in your life. May she obtain for you the strength and the wisdom to speak to God and to speak about God. Through her example may she encourage you to be in the new millennium announcers of hope, love and peace.

Looking forward to meeting many of you in Rome next year, “I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace that has power to build you up and to give you your inheritance among all the sanctified” ( Acts 20:32), while, gladly and with great affection, I bless all of you, with your families and your loved ones.

From the Vatican, June 29th 1999, solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul

JOANNES PAULUS PP. II

Copyright © Dicastero per la Comunicazione - Libreria Editrice Vaticana

The role of education on the transformative journeys of youth at risk

What are the ways in which educational actors can make a positive difference for young people at risk and draw them away from the shadows of hate and crime? This was the main theme addressed at the meeting of 9 March 2021 Transformative journeys of youth at risk: Education countering violent narratives during the Fourteenth United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (7-12 March 2021, Kyoto, Japan).

Schools and teachers can be a valuable source of support for distressed students, according to Neha Sharma, a principal in India. She recalled a time when one of her students, just 14-years of age at the time, had been indirectly involved in a crime. Noticing that he was outcasted by classmates and neglected by teachers, she reached out to the student and “he poured his heart out and shared his feelings of loss, guilt and heavy remorse.” Today, as a settled and educated adult, he tells his former teacher, “you were compassionate and non-judgemental. You gave me a fair chance and I shudder to think that had you not been there to support me in those days, I might have dropped out of the school or have done something even more stupid!”

Interestingly, teachers and schools can be a source of positive influence, even once a young person has been radicalized. Vasty Miguel, a youth based in Belgium, recalls that “nothing could stop me in my downfall. Neither my family, nor my friends, nor my hobbies, nor my ambitions. The trusting relationship I had built with my school and teachers was my way out.” By providing youth with a space to express themselves and involving them in projects  and fun educational activities, Vasty states that the Citizen Ambassadors programme , which is a mentorship programme by and for youth, “diverts young people from the voices of violence.”

However, sometimes youth are not diverted in time and end up engaging in criminal activities. What hope or transformation can education offer them? Adinaraina Subramaniam, who worked for 37 years in Malaysia’s prison department, explained how the correctional institution can be transformed into a school. Adina described a programme where young offenders move through phases beginning with self-discipline and emotional and attitudes skills development. After one year of vocational and occupational therapy, the youth enter a reintegration phase with short periods of release into the community. Moreover, organized traineeships open doors to jobs following release. This phased approach to rehabilitation focuses on educating the person and reduces the risk of crime and radicalization deriving from the lack of skills and opportunity.

According to Dina Buchbinder, founder of Education for Sharing (E4S) , another innovative approach to prevent youth crime is using the power of play for transformation. Youth, in most of the contexts where E4S works, are surrounded by violence, drugs, poverty and discrimination which can be “fertile ground for crime.”  Dina explains that E4S works “hand in hand with teachers, parents and other members of the community to train youth on the process of learning through the play methodology. Adults start interacting in a different way that allows both them and the youth to gain a different self-perception and deconstruct destructive patterns,” and she continues that  young people “realize they have the power to choose and this is a profound paradigm shift. They discover their power as change agents and the effect they can have in their community and in the world.”

In order to make this paradigm shift sustainable, it is important to provide not only knowledge, but also the means to young people. Nelson Kwaje, a South Sudanese technologist and human rights campaigner, finds that engaging youth in peaceful transformation must also include providing them with resources, and agency and decision-making capabilities. As part of his work at the NGO #Defyhatenow he encourages “pushing decision-making to the peripheries, that is, directly to the young people who are closest to the point of contact.” Through the fellowship programme, Act4Peace , for instance, youth are provided with micro grants to initiate actions, such as starting outreach programmes at school, or organizing dialogues between church leaders and imams in their communities. 

The voices of these youth’s leaders on the transformative power of education were moderated by Elodie Beth-Seo, Senior Project Officer at UNESCO and amplified by the launch of the jointly produced UNESCO-UNODC documentary Youth Can Move the World . In this video, the voices of youth reverberate robustly, and their empowered sentiments are echoed by world leaders, policy-makers, justice actors and educators, to deliver a compelling message on agency and empowerment.

This meeting is part of the UNESCO and UNODC partnership on Global Citizenship Education for the Rule of law , that aims to bridge the worlds of education and justice under the umbrella of Education for Justice , an initiative supported by the State of Qatar.  Marco Teixeira, Senior Programme Officer at UNODC and Coordinator of the Global Programme of the Doha Declaration, noted in his concluding remarks that “this unique partnership has managed to help educators and education professionals in designing and implementing educational interventions that equip young leaders with the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to constructively and responsibly engage in society. This includes upholding the principle of justice and building effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.”

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World Youth Day 2023 Meeting my family

Written by John Paul de Quay

• August 29, 2023

I had received a personal invitation to World Youth Day (WYD) from my friend; Br Philip-Thomas, to join them and their small group from St Anthony’s, Forest Gate and St Patrick’s Soho. I had always been intrigued by and perhaps a little dismissive of WYD. I realised this was the last one I could be somewhat classified as ‘youth’ and that Lisbon was near enough to traverse the continent without the need of sprouting wings. Lesson 1. A personal invitation goes a long way.

Strangers in a foreign land

We stayed our first night in Paris on what at the time appeared to be the hardest floor known to mankind. It was oppressively solid. Yet as we discovered on the return journey, all that required to make it more comfortable, was not a mattress, but a week at World Youth Day.  

Meeting our French compatriots we boarded our coach, which the drivers christened ‘John Paul’. Not in honour of me, but Saint Pope JPII who founded World youth day.

The coach journey was perhaps the Brits first experience (if they were not aware from birth) of being culturally inept (or eroded). It appears the French have a repertoire of traditional rowdy, cheerful, foot-stomping chants, we had Jerusalem, the Beatles… and ABBA? We gave it our best.

Lesson 2. We need to revive the art of communal singing, rather than propping up a music industry that has had it’s day.

Despite having to borrow numbers from our Swedish cousins, the entente cordial remained high. Entente Cordial (Robinsons should make this in an attempt to patch up Brexit), is essential when you are trapped in a coach for 24 hours. We were warned not to use the toilet except in grave danger of ‘little emergencies’, but certainly NEVER ‘bigger emergencies’. Being considerate of one’s neighbour while journeying in a tin can is not discernibly different, in my mind, to ensuring that our common home does not become “an immense pile of filth” * of a speck of dust on pilgrimage through the cosmos.

We were no longer strangers. There were no ‘emergencies’. Sleep was intermittent. We woke up to a gradually changing sequence of landscapes.

Lesson 3. To get to know people, waste time with them, a coach ride is one method of doing this. Getting there as quick as possible deprives you of late night crowd-surfing in service stations. Coach 1, Plane 0.

No room at the inn

Finding accommodation for 1.6 million pilgrims in a city that only has a population of 3 million is a challenge, and despite a few hiccups the City swallowed the pilgrims like the sea flowing up rivers to the tributaries, where host families, schools and parishes fed, washed and housed us.

Having checked in and dumped our bags in the morning (no shower yet), we returned from a days adventures (absolutely stinky) to find we would have to move accommodation and the group would have to be split up. Exhaustion and a sense of anxiety were universal. As we were together on pilgrimage these feelings became manifest as sense of adventure and spontaneous singing by streetlight passed the time.

With the uncertainty hanging over us, the Portuguese volunteers worked tirelessly to find the men somewhere to stay. We were in limbo. We longed to just settle down to sleep on the cobbled streets of Lisbon under the stars.

Finally the men were bundled into vans driven by a group of Dutch pilgrims to a mystery primary school some miles away, where we would be staying with groups from the USA, New Zealand, Taiwan and The Netherlands.

Arriving just before midnight we were desperate for a shower.

 ‘I will take you’ said the volunteer ‘they close at midnight’. I indicated that she could just show me where they were and ‘how could a shower close at midnight?’

The showers were 10 minutes walk from the school in the shower block of concrete basket ball court with a high wire fence attended by volunteers. It was the best shower in the world at that precise moment. Despite the communal nature of the shower, we did well, some rumours were there was a group of 70 pilgrims sharing the one shower cubicle (not a Guinness world record, they showered one at a time (I assume)).

It dawned on me that in a different context, if I were a refugee or at the mercy of authorities in a similar setting, the exhaustion and anxiety would manifest itself very differently.

Lesson 4. How prepared are we for a disaster? This was fine for a pilgrimage, but do our schools, parishes and other buildings accommodate the needs of less fortunate pilgrims in the journey of life? How accommodating are we to those in need? Do we know those in need on our doorstep?

Five stars for the inn that had no room!

Self Giving

The volunteers in Lisbon slept during the day to attend to us at all hours of the day, missing out on the activities in the city. To me these volunteers were world youth day, not the big events.

The sense of fraternity to those strangers in our temporary lodgings, made me dread heading home to a block of flats where I did not know my neighbour. I made the resolution that when I get home I will knock on all their doors, a resolution that at time of writing still terrifies me.

We sang with the volunteers late into the night (much to the annoyance of those sleeping in the classroom overlooking the playground).

On pride of one’s nation

Old women at their windows waved as all the nations of the earth walked past their humble houses.

Like in Eurovision voting, some flag waving had an air of one upmanship, but on the whole, the flags were saying ‘I am here to praise God and discover what we have in common. I even saw Israelis and Palestinians dancing in the street together. There was a healthy tension between unity and diversity; a pride in one’s heritage, and roots in distinct ecosystems and cultures, as well as pride in being part of a global family. It was a huge contrast to the ‘homogenisation’ that a global consumer culture creates and causes so much polarity as we all compete to be ‘represented’ within a false unity.

Our only hostile run in came from what was kindly described as ‘a cultural difference in what justice is’. The cultural stereotype of Germans putting their towels down on the beach was (mis)appropriated by another nation who shan’t be named, who had staked their territory like the frontiersmen, not appreciating that there were many other groups who would need to pack like sardines into the same territory.

Learning: Experience can flavour the message of God in interesting ways. How are our views on the world and neighbours and our own ideas of justice get confused with an entitlement flavoured by politics, consumerism and past hurts?

On Human Needs

The Heat that week was extraordinary. Reaching 40oC while the 1.6 million streamed back from their hiding places amongst the city, all day long, mostly be foot, to aggregate a park with no shade, to attend adoration of the blessed Eucharist and mass the following day with the Pope. As Fr Joe reminded us frequently… “drink! Because by the time you are thirsty it will be too late!”

Once a few Australians vacated the bins (the only shade available in the field), we fashioned them into a sun shelter using bamboo canes picked on the walk, a waterproof poncho and bungee cords.

Again this was exhilarating for a day but, the realisation that the best spot in the field was hiding in the bins was a sobering thought. That the number of refugees in Uganda alone was a comparable 1.5 million from bordering countries, displaced from conflict and climate, where 96.6% rely on aid.* The numbers at World Youth Day gathered in a single place was incomprehensible to my mind, yet it was a fraction of those living this reality everyday. At the mercy of aid organisations feeding them out of the back of trucks and food stations, rather than being able to have a share of God’s gifts and provide for themselves.

How will World Youth Day call me to be more fraternal, merciful and aware of the bonds to my global family through care of the Earth?

On Gratitude

Fr Joe in his concluding homily said we have a choice what we bring back with us. We can either choose to remember the times of hardship and frustration, or we can remember the friendships, and the graces that we have been given on the pilgrimage. This is a truth we need to practice daily on our lifelong pilgrimage.

I am grateful for having experienced WYD, on one hand the grand of the scale of it, and the other the bonds with my small group of fellow pilgrims that I shared my days with. It highlights the care for my local community back home against the backdrop of the urgent need to care for our global family and common home. The relationships I form with God, neighbours and planet; influence my direction and method of travel from A to B in the web of interactions and relationships of our pilgrimage in a modern world.

In an age where globalisation and a threatened biosphere affect us all, recognition of our global fraternity, and a sense of closeness to all should inspire a merciful way of being, a new call to radical simplicity and a God centred life, free from consumerism and fear that destroys and sews competition. I have met my neighbour and I can no longer pretend that they are not my family. If each person bears the image of God, then how can I not love each and every person born and yet to be born and live a pilgrimage within our common home?

It is time to rise up, to go with haste, prepare the future.

• Laudato Si’ Paragraph 21
• The United Nations Refugee Service

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Youth Group Lesson – Growing Faith in a Changing World Joshua 24:1-3

Today, we’re exploring a passage that holds incredible significance for teenagers navigating the challenges of the modern world – Joshua 24:1-3. This scripture isn’t just a historical account; it’s a roadmap for our faith journey in this fast-paced, ever-changing environment.

Why is this Important for You:

In the midst of the hustle and bustle of high school and middle school life, it’s easy to get swept away by the currents of the world. Joshua 24:1-3 challenges us to consider our choices, to stand firm in our beliefs, and to make intentional decisions that align with our faith. It’s a call to be strong, bold, and unwavering in our commitment to God.

Now, let’s dive into the Word together and see what lessons we can glean.

Bible Reading 1: Joshua 24:1-3 (NIV)

“Then Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel at Shechem. He summoned the elders, leaders, judges, and officials of Israel, and they presented themselves before God. Joshua said to all the people, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Long ago your ancestors, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates River and worshiped other gods. But I took your father Abraham from the land beyond the Euphrates and led him throughout Canaan and gave him many descendants.'”

Explanation For Teenagers:

• Setting the Scene: Joshua gathers all of Israel to remind them of their history and God’s faithfulness.
• Historical Background: Terah, Abraham’s father, worshiped other gods. God, in His grace, chose Abraham and led him to Canaan.
• Key Point: God calls us out of our past and into a relationship with Him.

Youth Group Game: “Faithful Relay”

Create a relay race with challenges related to making faithful choices. Each challenge can represent a decision teenagers often face. For example, a puzzle piece can symbolize choosing friends wisely, and a mini obstacle course can symbolize overcoming challenges with faith.

Bible Reading 2: Joshua 24:1-3 (NIV) – Continued

“I gave him Isaac, and to Isaac, I gave Jacob and Esau. I assigned the hill country of Seir to Esau, but Jacob and his family went down to Egypt.”

• God’s Blessings: God blessed Abraham with descendants, including Isaac and Jacob.
• Choices and Consequences: Esau received a different inheritance due to his choices.
• Applying Today: Our choices have consequences; let’s make choices that align with God’s plan.

Youth Group Discussion Questions:

• How do you think Abraham’s faith impacted the choices of his descendants?
• What are some modern “idols” or distractions that could pull us away from God?
• How can we make choices now that will positively impact our future?

Bible Reading 3: Joshua 24:1-3 (NIV) – Continued

“Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I afflicted the Egyptians by what I did there, and I brought you out. When I brought your people out of Egypt, you came to the sea, and the Egyptians pursued them with chariots and horsemen as far as the Red Sea.”

• God’s Miraculous Deliverance: God reminds Israel of the miraculous Exodus from Egypt.
• Overcoming Challenges: Facing the Red Sea, God’s power made a way where there seemed to be none.
• Today’s Application: Trusting God to guide us through challenges.
• How do you feel God has guided you through challenges in your life?
• What “Red Sea” moments have you faced, and how did your faith impact the outcome?
• How can we encourage each other to trust God in difficult times?

Closing Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for the lessons we’ve learned today from the life of Abraham and the journey of Israel. Help us to make choices that honor you, trusting in your guidance through every challenge. May our faith be unwavering, and may we stand firm in our commitment to follow you. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Remember, you are the next generation of faith warriors, equipped to face the challenges of the world with God’s wisdom and love. Go out and shine your light!

Youth Ministry Lesson on Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25 and Psalm 78:1-7: Choosing to Serve God

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From School to Jobs: a journey for the young people of Western and Central Africa

Despite recent progress, education in the region is in crisis : 80% of 10-year-old children in Western and Central Africa are unable to read and understand a simple text, and more than 32 million children remain out of school, which represents the largest share of all regions worldwide

This strategy envisions a region where all girls and boys arrive at school ready to learn, acquire real learning, and are ready to enter the job market with the right skills to become productive and fulfilled citizens .

To achieve this vision, the strategy proposes a framework structured around three domains:

• Strengthen strategic leadership for long-term impact
• Invest in high impact interventions around three pillars: a) improving teaching and learning; b) widening opportunities; c) building job-relevant skills
• Enhance implementation capacity for long-term impact.

The strategy relies on the available evidence and the operational experience to set priority interventions that represent a significant change with respect to business as usual.

It also sets guiding principles to operationalize the strategy at the country level , including the importance of results-based financing, multisectoral interventions, and country-specific tailoring.

• Chapter 1: Introduction to the Strategy and the Region
• Chapter 2: Modernizing the Learning Life Cycle
• Chapter 3: Strengthening Strategic Leadership for Long-Term Impact
• Chapter 4: High-impact Interventions to Reduce Learning Poverty
• Chapter 5: High-Impact Interventions to Expand Learning Opportunities
• Chapter 6: High-Impact Interventions to Build Job-Relevant Skills for All
• Chapter 7: Enhancing Implementation and M&E Capacity
• Chapter 8: The World Bank’s Education Portfolio in Western and Central Africa
• Annexes: Regional Education Strategy Technical Report Annexes
• Topic: Community Empowerment [Demand-Side Constraints in Education in West and Central Africa and the Role of Community and Household Empowerment]
• Topic: Fragility, Conflict, and Violence [Fragility and Education in Western and Central Africa. Constraints and Opportunities.]
• Topic: Education Financing [Western & Central Africa Education Strategy: Financing Background Paper]
• Topic: Infrastructure [Background Paper on School Infrastructure in the Western and Central Africa Region]
• Topic: Targets [Targets in the West and Central Africa Education Strategy: Background Note on Methodology]
• Topic: World Bank Education Portfolio [Ensuring Inclusive and Equitable Quality Education for All: Is the World Bank Learning Enough from Its Projects in West and Central Africa?]
• Topic: World Bank Education Portfolio [Rising World Bank Financing for Education in West and Central Africa: Decisive Breakthrough or Helping Hand?]
• Burkina Faso
• Central African Republic
• Cote d'Ivoire
• Equatorial Guinea
• Guinea-Bissau
• Republic of Congo
• Sierra Leone

From School to Jobs: A Journey for the Young People of Western and Central Africa | Ama's Story

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Journey into the Spirit World - Youth Edition

Based on our 13-lesson study, Journey Into The Spirit World, Revised, this 7-lesson study for youth focuses on spiritual realities everyone should know: Five foundational truths about God, Where did Satan come from and what does he do? , Who is the Holy Spirit and what does He do?, What does the Bible teach us about demons and how to deal with them?, What exactly are angels and what do they do?, How can I know the difference between an angel and a demon?, What will happen to me when I die?, What are the two eternal destinations for all people?, Where is heaven?, What is heaven like?, etc. Each lesson is designed to be taught in 25 minutes with a graphic-driven PowerPoint ® presentation. At the end of each lesson, there are break-out application questions dealing with everyday issues students face. This study is only sold in booklet form . The original study makes a great teacher's book to accompany this student book. (Available in English Standard Version® or King James Version) TEACHERS, PLEASE NOTE: You will need either the packet of answers or the PowerPoint ® CD to have all the answers to the questions in the student book.

Helpful Resources

For digital KJV answers CLICK HERE

For digital ESV® answers CLICK HERE

For PowerPoint® KJV download CLICK HERE

For PowerPoint® ESV® download CLICK HERE

For Printed Answers CLICK HERE

For PowerPoint® Answers CLICK HERE

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India: Pledging to RiseUp4Peace, young people and educators work on promoting peace and lawfulness beyond classroom walls

New Delhi, India/30 April 2024: "I pledge to promote peace, justice and fairness in my school and beyond." In the bustling corridors of the Sarla Birla Gyan Jyoti school in northeast India’s Guwahati (Assam), over 1200 students stand shoulder to shoulder in the morning assembly, their voices echoing with a pledge for peace, justice, and inclusivity.

Among them is Khyati Baruah, a spirited 15-year-old with a passion for creating positive change.

“Being a part of the RiseUp4Peace project has enhanced my leadership skills to a new level,” says Khyati. “As a student leader in my school, I have been collaborating with students from different classes and feel a new spark of excitement in the students for SDG16.”

With UNODC's RiseUp4Peace initiative, Khyati and thousands of young minds like her are actively learning about--and advocating for--peace, justice, and inclusivity with education. This pioneering educational initiative, spearheaded by UNODC in collaboration with Kamla Nehru Public School (KNPS) Phagwara and educator partners across India and beyond, focuses on empowering young people and educators on creating a culture of peace, the rule of law and integrity.

With the support of dedicated educators, the initiative has evolved into a coalition of empowered 'Partners4Peace,' a network of networks dedicated to fostering a more just and inclusive society--—core elements of Sustainable Development Goal 16 (SDG16).

This month, RiseUp4Peace organized five interactive capacity-building dialogues, bringing together over 1,095 educators and young people. These dialogues aimed to demystify SDG 16 and related themes, encouraging the co-creation of student-led activities and fostering cross-learning among educators. The focus was on innovative classroom interventions to educate, engage, and empower young learners on peace, the rule of law, and integrity.

“With RiseUp4Peace, I am able to spread awareness about the impact we as students can make to build a just and peaceful world. This project has also  helped me to develop my leadership and communication skills,” says Lekisha Jain, aged 14. 

"Working for this cause has enabled me to harness digital tools for meaningful social impact. It's a journey that not only amplifies my voice but also deepens my understanding of the challenges surrounding SDG16," says 15-year-old Srishti Sen, a student of the Funlish online education platform.

At the core of the initiative is also an emphasis on capacity-building for educators and fostering cross-learning opportunities. Over 150 educators participated in the 5th monthly RiseUp4Peace capacity-boosting dialogue in April, where UNODC's youth mainstreaming specialist Paloma Munne presented the Youth Empowerment Accelerator (YEA) framework to promote youth mainstreaming. Educators from around the world shared practical ways to strengthen SDG 16 education, highlighting the importance of a “collaborative spirit."

"With this network, the idea is to foster cross-fertilisation of expertise and ideas between educators and educational institutions, and enable young people to sharpen their skills," said Ms. Paramjit Dhillon, Principal (Admin and Innovation), KNPS Phagwara.

Knowledge support was also provided to 316 educators, 5,100 young people and 12 educational institutions directly on SDG 16-related themes and youth mainstreaming on the rule of law. This resulted in the co-creation of a range of school-led initiatives engaging and empowering over 14,000 young people—including a students’ ‘Run4Peace’ campaign driven by the Little Kingdom School (Madhya Pradesh), virtual student assemblies on SDG16 conducted at the Funlish language school, setting up of a 'peace tree' with messages on SDG 16 at the Sri Seshaas International Public School Salem (Tamil Nadu), interactive dialogues held at the Schiller Institute (Uttar Pradesh) and other institutions, pledge drives, posters and artwork activities, among others.

"In today's interconnected world, the significance of SDG16 education cannot be overstated. RiseUp4Peace recognizes this urgency and provides a unique platform for educators and students to come together in dialogue and action,” says Samarth Pathak, UNODC Communications Officer for South Asia. 

"I have always wanted to make a difference in the society, but didn’t know where to start," says Anubhab Siddhanta, aged 13. "Engaging with UNODC has made me realise that small acts too can have a big impact.” With RiseUp4Peace paving the way, young people are not just dreaming of a better tomorrow—they're actively working towards it, one pledge and one action at a time.

Join the initiative:   t.ly/lh9T7

This activity contributes to SDG 4, SDG 5, SDG 16 and SDG 17:  https://sdg-tracker.org/

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